FolioCorpusBhagavad-gītā

Bhagavad-gītā 18.20

सर्वभूतेषु येनैकं भावमव्ययमीक्षते । अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तज्ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥ २० ॥
sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikaṁ
[sarva-bhooteshu yenaikam]
bhāvam avyayam īkṣate
[bhaavam avyayam eekshate]
avibhaktaṁ vibhakteṣu
[avibhaktam vibhakteshu]
taj jñānaṁ viddhi sāttvikam
[taj jnaanam viddhi saattvikam]
Word-for-word
sarva - bhūteṣu — in all living entities yena — by which ekam — one bhāvam — situation avyayam — imperishable īkṣate — one sees avibhaktam — undivided vibhakteṣu — in the numberless divided tat — that jñānam — knowledge viddhi — know sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness .
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
sarva-bhūteṣu yenaikaṁ
sarva - bhūteṣu
in all living entities
yena
by which
ekam
one
bhāvam avyayam īkṣate
bhāvam
situation
avyayam
imperishable
īkṣate
one sees
avibhaktaṁ vibhakteṣu
avibhaktam
undivided
vibhakteṣu
in the numberless divided
taj jñānaṁ viddhi sāttvikam
tat
that
jñānam
knowledge
viddhi
know
sāttvikam
in the mode of goodness .
Important Words
  • ekam — one
    Not numerically one self spread across bodies, but one *kind* of eternal spiritual substance (sama-jāti) found in every jīva. Prabhupāda's purport: the same superior nature — Kṛṣṇa's taṭasthā-śakti — animates every body, while each jīva remains an individual atomic soul. Acintya-bhedābheda: identical in category, distinct in person.
  • avyayam — imperishable
    That which does not waste away. The unified soul-nature is not a temporary commonality (like being human) but an eternal one (being ātman).
  • avibhaktam — undivided
    Negative of vibhakta. The soul-substance is unsplit in *category* — every jīva is of the same superior nature — even though the jīvas themselves are many and distinct. Not the Advaitin Brahman undivided by māyā, but Baladeva's and Jīva Gosvāmī's reading: sama-jāti of souls, each an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa.
  • vibhakteṣu — in the divided
    Locative plural. The setting where the undivided is to be perceived — not in some abstract elsewhere, but right here, in the diverse beings around one.
  • sāttvikam — in the mode of goodness
    The classification. This kind of seeing is itself an effect of sattva-guṇa. The mode of goodness produces the unifying vision — they are intimately bound.
That knowledge by which one undivided spiritual nature is seen in all living entities, though they are divided into innumerable forms, you should understand to be in the mode of goodness.
Classical Sanskrit analysis शास्त्रीय विश्लेषण
How Sanskrit scholars read this verse — split, rearranged, grammar-tagged. For the plain English distilled meaning, jump to Plain meaning below.
Auto-generated study layers — original analysis of the public-domain śloka. Review against a published edition for academic work.
Plain meaning (तात्पर्य · Tātparya)
Sāttvika knowledge sees the one indivisible Reality shining through all the apparently divided forms of life. Unity behind diversity, imperishability under appearance — this is the highest cognitive register.
Further notes (विवरण · Vivaraṇa)
The verse states the unifying vision the Upaniṣads call ekam evādvitīyam — the one without a second, perceived across the manifold. Sāttvika-jñāna does not erase distinctions but reads them rightly: avibhakta-in-vibhakta. Cross-refs: BG 13.16, 13.27, and the universal-form vision of ch. 11. This is also the epistemic precondition for 18.54's samadarśana.
Prose order (अन्वय · Anvaya)
येन विभक्तेषु सर्व-भूतेषु एकम् अविभक्तम् अव्ययं भावम् ईक्षते, तत् ज्ञानं सात्त्विकं विद्धि ।
yena vibhakteṣu sarva-bhūteṣu ekam avibhaktam avyayaṃ bhāvam īkṣate, tat jñānaṃ sāttvikaṃ viddhi |
That knowledge by which one beholds, in all divided beings, one undivided, imperishable Reality — know that to be sāttvika.
Word split (पदच्छेद · Padaccheda)
सर्व-भूतेषु येन एकं भावम् अव्ययम् ईक्षते । अविभक्तं विभक्तेषु तत् ज्ञानं विद्धि सात्त्विकम् ॥
sarva-bhūteṣu yena ekaṃ bhāvam avyayam īkṣate | avibhaktaṃ vibhakteṣu tat jñānaṃ viddhi sāttvikam ||
Grammar (व्याकरण · Vyākaraṇa)
SanskritIASTGrammarMeaning
सर्व-भूतेषु sarva-bhūteṣu tatpuruṣa cpd. (compound) loc.pl. (locative plural)n. in all beings
येन yena यद् (pron. (pronoun)) ins.sg. (instrumental singular)n. by which
एकम् ekam एक (num.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. one
भावम् bhāvam भाव (m.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) essence
अव्ययम् avyayam अ + √व्यय p.p.p. (past passive participle) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. imperishable
ईक्षते īkṣate √ईक्ष् pres. (present) 3sg.ātm. (ātmanepada / middle voice) sees
अविभक्तम् avibhaktam अ + वि + √भज् p.p.p. (past passive participle) acc.sg. (accusative singular)m. undivided
विभक्तेषु vibhakteṣu वि + √भज् p.p.p. (past passive participle) loc.pl. (locative plural)n. in the divided
तत् tat तद् (pron. (pronoun)) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. that
ज्ञानम् jñānam ज्ञान (n.) acc.sg. (accusative singular) knowledge
विद्धि viddhi √विद् impv. 2sg.par. (parasmaipada / active voice) know!
सात्त्विकम् sāttvikam सात्त्विक (adj.) acc.sg. (accusative singular)n. sāttvika
Purport

A person who sees one spirit soul in every living being, whether a demigod, human being, animal, bird, beast, aquatic or plant, possesses knowledge in the mode of goodness. In all living entities, one spirit soul is there, although they have different bodies in terms of their previous work. As described in the Seventh Chapter, the manifestation of the living force in every body is due to the superior nature of the Supreme Lord. Thus to see that one superior nature, that living force, in every body is to see in the mode of goodness. That living energy is imperishable, although the bodies are perishable. Differences are perceived in terms of the body; because there are many forms of material existence in conditional life, the living force appears to be divided. Such impersonal knowledge is an aspect of self-realization.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
20. Know that the process of knowledge is sattvic in nature when the individual indestructible soul with individual form is seen to exist successively in different bodies.
Commentary

This verse speaks of sattvic process of knowing. Seeing one soul (ekaṁ bhāvam), with one form (avibhaktam) which is indestructible (avyayam) residing successively in different forms (vibhakteṣu) such as human, devatā, or animal for the purpose of enjoying various fruits, which are temporary, through knowledge related to action (verse 18), is known as sattvic knowledge.

Baladeva Vidyābhūṣaṇa Gauḍīya
Translation
20. Know that the process of knowledge is of sattva guṇa by which one sees the indestructible soul travelling into all types of bodies, undivided though he takes up separate bodies.
Commentary

This verse speaks of knowing in sattva guṇa. That knowledge by which [Note: Knowledge was defined in verse 18 as that by which something is known.] one sees one indestructible (avyayam ekam) jīva presiding successively in various destructible bodies (sarva bhūteṣu) of devatās, men and other creatures as a result of accepting results of various karmas, by which one sees the one jīva (avibhaktam) in mutually different temporary bodies (vibhakteṣu)—know that such knowledge of the ātmā which is non-different from the knowledge in the Upaniṣads, to be knowledge in sattva guna.

Classical Ācāryas
Śrī Śaṅkarācārya Classical
Translation
18.20 Viddhi, know; tat, that; jnanam, knowledge, realization of the Self as non-dual, complete realization; to be sattvikam, originating from sattva; yena, through which knowledge; iksate, one sees; ekam, a single; avyayam, undecaying-that which does not undergo mutation either in itself or by the mutation of its alities-' i.e. eternal and immutable; bhavam, Entity-the word bhava is used to imply an entity-, i.e. the single Reality which is the Self; sarvabhutesu, in all things, in all things begining from the Unmanifest to the unmoving things; and through which knowledge one sees that Entity to be avibhaktam, undivided; in every body, vibhaktesu, in all the deversified things, in the different bodies. The idea is: that Reality which is the Self remains, like Space, undivided. Being based on rajas and tamas, those that are the dualistic philosophies are incomplete, and hence are not by themselves adeate for the eradication of worldly existence.
Śrī Rāmānujācārya Classical
Translation
18.20 The self (Atman), which is of the form of knowledge, is alike and uniform, though distinct, in all beings, even though they may externally, and from the point of view of duty, be distinguished as Brahmanas, Ksatriyas, householders, celibates, fair, tall etc. The immutable selves in all these perishing forms or bodies are unaffected by the fruits of actions. Such knowledge of the immutability of the self in all changing beings, is Sattvika.
Śrī Abhinavagupta Classical
Translation
18.20 See Comment under 18.22
Swami Sivananda Classical
Translation
18.20 That by which one sees the one indestructible Reality in all beings, not separate in all the separate beings know thou that knowledge to be Sattvic.
Commentary

18.20 सर्वभूतेषु in all beings? येन by which? एकम् one? भावम् reality? अव्ययम् indestructible? ईक्षते (one) sees? अविभक्तम् inseparable? विभक्तेषु in the separated? तत् that? ज्ञानम् knowledge? विद्धि know? सात्त्विकम् Sattvic (pure).Commentary That knowledge that sees no difference in all objects that are perceived? is pure. The seer beholds the one allpervading imperishable substance or essence behind the seeming diversity of the objects. He beholds unity in diversity? one in many? all in one. He sees that all the diverse objects are rooted in the One.Bhavam Reality The One Self.Sarvabhuteshu In all beings From the Unmanifested down to the insentient and unmoving objects.Avyayam Indestructible inexhaustible unchangeable that which cannot be exhausted either in itself or in its properties immutable.Just as the ether is indivisible? so also the Self is indivisible. The Self is the same in all bodies. It is the common consciousness in all bodies. It is not different in different bodies. It is one homogeneous indivisible essence or substance in all bodies? in all beings. Know thou? O Arjuna? this direct and right perception of the nondual Self as Sattvic (pure). (Cf.IV.35VI.29XIII.16?28XVIII.30)

Swami Gambhīrānanda Classical
Translation
18.20 Know that knowledge to be originating from sattva through which one sees a single, undecaying, undivided Entity in all the diversified things.
Shri Purohit Swami Classical
Translation
18.20 That knowledge which sees the One Indestructible in all beings, the One Indivisible in all separate lives, may be truly called Pure Knowledge.
Related values & verses
Related values
Tyaga (Renunciation / Letting Go)Karuna (Kindness / Compassion)Tapas (Austerity / Discipline)Daksya (Resourcefulness / Skill)Abhaya (Fearlessness)
Related verses
BG 13.28 BG 6.29 BG 5.18 SB 1.5.18 SB 11.2.45 SB 3.29.21 CC Madhya 25.91 CC Madhya 22.75 CC Antya 4.176 Īśa Upaniṣad 6 Chāndogya Upaniṣad 6.8.7
Concepts
Bhava
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Knowledge that sees the one undivided spiritual nature in all the divided beings — sattvic knowledge.
Practical Applications
  • Cultivate the seeing of unity in diverse beings.
  • Use this seeing in cross-species and cross-human encounters.
  • Honor the sattvic vision.
Reflection Questions
  • Where do I miss the unity in diversity?
  • What practice trains the seeing?
Analogy

Kṛṣṇa is the original fire; the jīvas are sparks leaping from it (Bg. 2.23 frame; Cc. Madhya 20.108). Each spark is its own spark — never another spark, never the fire itself — yet every spark is of the same blazing substance. The sāttvika eye sees this in every body: the same eternal soul-nature in peasant, king, animal, sage, while their individual identities remain distinct. One kind, many sparks — avibhaktaṁ vibhakteṣu, read in Kṛṣṇa's light.

Stories
Mahārāja Ambarīṣa

Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, though emperor of the earth, treated all beings — brāhmaṇa, sage, common subject, even the angered Durvāsā — with the same equanimity. He saw the one indivisible soul-nature beneath the divisions of body, status, and conduct.

When Durvāsā attacked him with a fierce form born of his anger, Ambarīṣa offered no aggression; he saw the same avyaya-bhāva even there. This is the sāttvika-jñāna of 18.20 in practice: avibhaktam in vibhakteṣu.

📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

← Read full Chapter 18